W/E BEYERS: Lexington-99
 

LEX:

Behindatthebar 99
Samba Rooster 97
Riley Tucker 96

Seems a little high, no?

no... pretty square # IMO... 4 mile and a sixteenth main track races saturday:

race 1 (MSW), winner got a 79 for 1:44.27, had run a 71 last out @ GP on the turf with a debut 81, 2nd place had run a 75 last out first week @ KEE (so a 75 again)

race 4 (ALW N2X), winners got an 83 for 1:43.71, Drop a Line had run an 84, 85, 90, and 83 in last 4 starts & Awesome Ashley finally reverted to her decent early 3yo form

race 5 (MSW), winner got an 80 for 1:44.13, winner ran a 79 in debut @ SA & 2nd ran a 73 & 76 at GP on the turf

race 9 (Lexington), winner got a 99 for 1:42.14, which is the correct number timewise relative to the other 1 1/16 races on the card... i didn't like either of the top two coming in but they ran a legitimately good race

Unlike most other synthetic track routes - that one was run at a fast pace. I think that helped yield a faster than expected final time.

I'm just saying, considering what the first three finishers had previously run. Like Drugs said though, the pace likely had much to do with it.

The pacesetter had run a 94 last out, so i guess it's fair to say he "ran his race" and Behindatthebar really stepped up... I don't think either is even a minor factor in the TC series but they're at least reasonable quality beasts.

Didn't they break a track record yesterday?

I agree with Joey. Those are pretty big steps up from the horses' previous numbers. Especially BATB and Riley Tucker.

Could be the weather - could be the officals saw those bad handle totals and tried to do what they could to make the racing play more like dirt track racing that bettors know and dearly love - I honestly have no idea - but yeah, speed did quite well.

The Lexington winner closed from deep in the pack while double digits out of it - but he was setup by a huge pace - and the Ben Ali winner rallied wide from last as the longest shot on the board to win going away - but there was way more pace shown in that race than what little there looked to be on paper. Otherwise it was speed.

I agree, wouldn't say it's nearly the old track but I was convinced enough to single the lone speed yesterday in the 5th and it paid off in spades... a play that was NOT possible/recommended as recently as last week.